SUMMARY
Currently, personnel education and training in the energy sector of Ukraine is characterized by significant shortcomings, which does not allow the fulfilment of obligations towards international organizations in full. The article substantiates the importance of using modern web-oriented technologies to improve the skills of operational and dispatching personnel in the energy sector of Ukraine. The peculiarities of developing the academic framework for the operational and dispatching personnel training system in the energy sector in order to form and maintain the personnel key competencies are described. The advantages of using the distributed environment for the organization of operational personnel education and training using the simulation tools for the operating modes of electric energy systems (EES) in the virtual center are considered. As a result, the conducted research allowed substantiating the academic framework, structure and functions of the virtual research and training centre for the personnel in the energy sector of Ukraine professional development. Such centre includes the knowledge assessment, training, and formation of the personnel key competences. The basic components of distance learning courses (DLCs) applying the customised software simulators for training personnel in the energy sector. The subjects of the suggested DLCs contains the lectures, training sessions and workshops, providing consultations with the lecturers and personnel individual projects during or after working hours. An important practical aspect of the designed DLCs is the application of information software for the sustainable development of the energy sector personnel key competencies for rapid recognition of accidents and, if necessary, their rapid elimination. This will allow them to acquire knowledge and practical skills to solve the problems of analysis, modelling, forecasting and visualization of the operation modes monitoring data of large electric energy systems. Therefore, in order to improve the qualification of the personnel in the energy sector of Ukraine, a virtual research and training centre (VRTC) was developed and implemented, and its scientific support was provided; the DLC for the organization of staff blended training was developed and implemented; a full-featured web mode simulator (FWMS) was developed and implemented. The VRTC for the energy sector personnel will help create a system for the highest quality personnel training.